Sports
Sergio Aguero becomes Man City all-time record scorer as They progress into Champions League knock-out stages
What a way to break the record and what a place to do it. At the cavernous Stadio San Paolo where his erstwhile father-in-law Diego Maradona is still worshipped as a demi-god, Sergio Aguero ascended to greatness when he became Manchester City’s top scorer of all-time.
Aguero had stood level with 1930s star Eric Brook on 177 goals for 12 days, but it was only a matter of time before he claimed a place in history all for himself.
When the opportunity arrived in the 69th minute of his 264th appearance for City, Aguero did not let his team – or himself – down.
An absorbing Group F tie was evenly poised at 2-2 when City broke out of defence and the ball was played forward. Leroy Sane made enough of a nuisance of himself to force Elseid Hysaj to stumble and Aguero collected it 30 yards out.
Suddenly the path to goal was clear. The Argentine star drove into space and buried his shot past Pepe Reina into the bottom corner.
Maradona, father of Aguero’s ex-wife Giannina and grandfather to their son Benjamin, is revered here for inspiring Napoli to the Italian title in 1987 and 1990.
Aguero was already assured of a similar place in the hearts of City fans for his part in their two championship-winning seasons. But now his name will be officially etched into the history of the club.
His landmark goal maintained City’s 100 per cent record in the Champions League this season and sent Pep Guardiola’s side through to the knockout stage for the fifth year in a row as they became the first English club to win here in Naples.
Up to that point City had showed they can still do it the old-fashioned way on a night when the beautiful goals wouldn’t go in at first, with two corners leading to two headers from centre backs Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones.
But it wasn’t easy. It was never going to be in the imposing Stadio San Paolo against a team as good as Napoli, the Serie A leaders who have not lost here in the league since February and have only suffered three defeats in their last 24 games at home in Europe.
A young City side showed huge character in a manner that will have delighted Guardiola and sent out another ominous message to their rivals. He admitted they were ‘destroyed’ in the opening 20 minutes, but still recovered to score four times.
‘When everything is going well it’s easy. Even you and I can play,’ said Guardiola afterwards. ‘The point is how you react in bad moments and we did it really well. It was a great win for us.’
Looking to salvage their own Champions League hopes, Napoli were that little bit sharper early on and it was no surprise to see them take the lead in the 21st minute.
It was a beautifully-worked goal but perhaps a little too easy from City’s point of view. Dries Mertens played a lovely one-two on the edge of the box with Lorenzo Insigne who sliced through City’s defence and curled the ball around Ederson Moraes.
The place erupted and it was to City’s credit that they raised their game immediately.
They produced their best move of the first half which ended with Aguero’s shot being deflected inches wide of the post.
Napoli had not escaped, though. When De Bruyne delivered from the right, the ball was flicked on and Otamendi headed in at the far post for his first Champions League goal in 39 games.
It was also the defender’s second goal in three matches, as many as he had scored in the 93 before that.
He could even have had another before half-time. Ilkay Gundogan swept the ball to the back post where Otamendi miskicked in front of goal, and the ball looped up for Stones to plant a header against the bar from 15 yards.
Raheem Sterling must have thought he would score within seconds of the restart when he wriggled through but Raul Albiol got across to make a fantastic block.
Again, Napoli had only delayed City scoring for a matter of moments. Sane swung over a corner and Stones met it with another thumping header.
It hit the bar again but this time bounced down just over the line, a fact German referee Felix Brych confirmed after a few moments of uncertainty.
Now it was Napoli’s turn to raise their game. Insigne rattled the bar with a fine effort from 30 yards and the Italians were awarded a penalty on the hour mark for Sane’s late tackle on Albiol.
Jorginho kept his cool to beat Ederson from the spot and we were all square again.
Ederson made a wonderful when Jose Callejon was one on one with the keeper, and moments later Aguero struck.
There was still time for Kevin De Bruyne to set up Sterling to score a fourth right at the end, but nothing could take away from Aguero’s achievement. What a record. What a night.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed the appointment of German tactician Bruno Labbadia as the new Head Coach of Nigeria’s Senior Men’s National Team, the Super Eagles.
This development was announced by the NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, in the early hours of Tuesday, following the approval of the NFF Executive Committee based on a recommendation from its Technical and Development Sub-Committee. Labbadia’s appointment takes immediate effect.
Born on 8th February 1966 in Darmstadt, Germany, Labbadia enjoyed a distinguished playing career, earning two caps for the German national team. His club career included stints at prominent clubs such as Darmstadt 98, Hamburger SV, FC Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich, FC Cologne, Werder Bremen, Arminia Bielefeld, and Karlsruher SC. Notably, he won the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich in 1994.
Labbadia’s coaching career has seen him manage top-tier clubs such as Hertha Berlin, VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg, Hamburger SV, and Bayer Leverkusen, among others. He holds a UEFA Pro License and is well-regarded for his tactical acumen.
With his appointment, Labbadia becomes the sixth German to lead the Super Eagles, following in the footsteps of Karl-Heinz Marotzke, Gottlieb Göller, Manfred Höner, Berti Vogts, and Gernot Rohr. Höner notably guided the Super Eagles to a runner-up finish at the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations, while Rohr qualified Nigeria for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Labbadia’s immediate task is to prepare the Super Eagles for their upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying matches.
Nigeria will face Benin Republic on Saturday, 7th September in Uyo, and Rwanda on Tuesday, 10th September in Kigali. The team will also play four additional qualifying matches in October and November as they aim to secure a spot in the 2025 AFCON, scheduled to be held from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
The Super Eagles, placed in Group D, will face familiar foes Benin Republic, who recently defeated Nigeria in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The draw for the AFCON qualifiers, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, last month, also sees Nigeria taking on Libya and Rwanda, both of whom are also part of the Super Eagles’ group for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers set to be hosted in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Labbadia’s appointment comes at a crucial time as the Super Eagles look to regain their dominance on the African continent and secure qualification for both the AFCON and the World Cup.
Finidi George has stepped into a new role as the technical manager for NPFL side, Rivers United, following his resignation as coach of the Super Eagles.
During his brief tenure with the Eagles, George’s 1-1 draw against South Africa in Uyo and a 2-1 loss to Benin Republic in Abidjan cast doubts on Nigeria’s World Cup qualification, prompting calls from fans for his dismissal.
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Nevertheless, Rivers United, the 2021-22 champions, expressed optimism in a statement on Wednesday via their official handle about having the former Eagles international manage their team.
“Finidi brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our team, having had a distinguished playing career spanning over fifteen years,” the statement read.
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Dr. Okey Kpalukwu, General Manager of Rivers United FC, welcomed George, stating, “We are delighted to have Finidi George join our team. His appointment marks a new chapter in our club’s history, and we are committed to working together to achieve success.”
Expressing his gratitude to the club, an elated George remarked, “I am honored to have this opportunity, and I thank the Sports Commissioner, the General Manager, and the supporters for their confidence in me. I am committed to working hard and making the team win.”
Inter Milan were taken over by US fund Oaktree on Wednesday after the Serie A champions’ outgoing owners Suning missed a deadline to repay a debt worth hundred of millions of euros.
In a statement, Oaktree announced they had “assumed control” of Inter after the non-repayment of a “three-year loan to Inter Milan’s holding companies that matured on 21 May 2024 with a total balance due of approximately 395 million euros ($428 million)”.
Chinese conglomerate Suning have relinquished control of Inter to Oaktree three days after the team were officially crowned Italian champions for the 20th time.
Suning borrowed 275 million euros at over 12 percent interest three years ago to pay staff and players as the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the finances of clubs across Europe, putting up their controlling stake in the club as collateral.
“Oaktree is dedicated to achieving the best outcome for the long-term prosperity of Inter Milan, with an initial focus on operational and financial stability for the Club and its stakeholders,” Oaktree continued.
Inter became a powerful force at home and abroad after Suning acquired the club in 2016, with seven trophies including two Serie A titles and two European finals.
Simone Inzaghi’s team cruised to this year’s championship, winning the Scudetto with five matches remaining by beating AC Milan in a thrilling local derby.
Oaktree, which manages $192 billion in assets, said they are “committed to working closely with Inter Milan’s current management team, partners, the league and governing bodies to ensure the Club is positioned for success on and off the pitch”.
Inter ended up in the hands of Oaktree in a manner similar to the way another US fund, Elliott Management, took control of their local rivals Milan in 2018.
Elliott became Milan’s owners when Chinese businessman Li Yonghong was unable to repay a loan he had taken out when he bought the club from the late Silvio Berlusconi’s Fininvest the previous year.
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